St. Francis Seraph

Francis Seraph (of Assisi), the founder of the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), lived in France during the year of 1182-1226. He was born to the family of a rich merchant and belonged to the golden youth of Assisi. Later on, he turned to religion, left his family, wandered without any money, repaired broken churches and preached to people and animals. Thanks to his acts and eloquence, he started having his first followers. He tried to reform the Church by imitating the life of Jesus and realizing his work. However, since he had no theological education, he sometimes came into conflict with the Church. At the age of forty, he stepped down from the head of the fast-growing order and lived in asceticism. In the year of 1211, he set up an order of nuns, the Poor Clares, and an order for laymen, the Tertiates. He was canonized in 1228. He is a patron of Italy, the poor, animals, nature, merchants, tailors, weavers and ecologists. His attributes are a cross, book, birds, lamb, wolf, stigmas, lily, skull and hood on the head.